c a dwell



(No Model.)

N. A. 8: J. W. CADWELL.

LETTER BOX.

No. 326,948. Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

@nul-lllllil WINESISES: 7L [a INVENTORS %fi. 5% C ATTO RN EY UNTTnnSTATns PATENT QFFTQlE-Q NELSON A. GADXVELL AND JONATHAN XV. GADXVELL, OFSPRINGFIELD, MASS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,948, datedSeptember 29, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NnLsoN A CADWELL and JONATHAN W. CADWELL, citizensof the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hainpdenand State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inLetter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in letter-boxes; and it consistsin the combination and construction as hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Our invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is an outside elevation of the complete box. Fig. 2 is aside elevation with the case in section, and Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe rear wall of the box with the rest of the case removed.

B B are strap-springs secured at I) to the rear wall, 0, of the box 0.

D is the letter-inserting opening, near the wall 0 and removed from thewall 0, forming the front of the box.

b is the free end of a spring, B, bearing, when nothing is in the box,against the wall 0.

The strength of spring B is graduated and its inclination adapted, asseen in Fig. 2, to permit a letter dropped through opening D to push itout of the way and take the position between the end I) and the wall 0,in which vertical position the spring holds a letter, E, as seen in Fig.2, to prevent the letter from being reached by an extracting-instrumentfrom opening D, and to cause said letter, if hooked, to come against thetop cover, (Z, of the box.

The vertical position of all letters E against one wall of the boxeffectually protects them against moisture having access to the boxthrough opening D, near the wall opposite to which the letters bear.

It is immaterial near which side of the box the opening D is placed, sothat the spring B is caused to bear against the opposite one, though weprefer to arrange it as shown in Fig. 2, as by means of a small hole, f,in the front wall of the box the presence of mailmatter in the box maybe known.

F is a dowuwardturning hook upon a bar, G, lying against the back of thebox 0, and guided to reciprocate vertically. The bar G is stopped at itsbottom end by a stop, 9, from wall 0. and at the end of the verticalrise permitted it by a stop, 2'. An arm, at, attached at m to the bar G,passes from said bar to the outside of the box through a slot, n, inwall 0, and the upper end of said slot forms the stop 2'. The arm in isextended above the box when the bar G is resting upon stop 9, and isprovided with a handle, 0.

A surface, 19, in the upward track of hook F is inclined from above thehook ,when in the position shown in Fig. 2, forward to the opening D, soas to bring the hook when prolonged ot er it across the opening D.

\Vhen a letter is inserted through the opening D and its weight is notsufficient to carry it to a vertical position between spring B and wall0', the hook F is by handle 0 pulled up, its downwardeurved end carryingit past the edge of the letter, and upon being pushed down the hook Fcarries the letter between the free end I) of the spring and wall 0'until the spring releases the letter from the hook by bending ittherefrom, to be straightened in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The stops 139 permit the hook-carrying bar G to be operated withoutcare, as, if a letter only partially within the opening D, the

hook F, when extended above the box, is guided by incline p to come overits end to be operative to carry it within the box upon the recession ofthe hook.

By means of a spring, L, from bar-G to a fixed part of the box, the barwith its hook F is automatically operated when released to place aletter within the box in position.

In Figs. 2 and 3 a lug, s, is shown, cast with a solid back, 0, andrecesses through this lug receive the springs B B and prevent them fromhaving any lateral movement, and also assist in guiding the hook F inits movement.

The box is secured in position to the door or wall to which it isfastened by being hooked over hooks from said wall coming oppositeelongated openings K K in wall 0.

box being hooked is lowered to be inclosed between the hook ends and thesurface from which the hooks project, and when so lowered is bolted tothe same surface through the holes z e by bolts inserted from theinterior of the box when its door T is open, so that They when thebottom to the box formed by door T is closed and secured there is nomeans of removing the box except by breaking it or its fastenings.strong letter-box which cannot be picked'and in which the letters areprotected from the weather.

Now, having described our invention, what we claim is 1. Thewithin-described improvement in letter-boxes, consisting of a caseadapted to hold a number of letters and having a slit, D, in its topnear its rear wall, springs B B, attached to the wall beneath slit D andadapted, substantially as shown and described, to have their free endsbear against the front wall of the case, and a hook-bearing slide, G,provided with an operating-handle, as o, and adapted to be reciprocatedbetween said springs to have its hook catch over and bear By these'means we provide a a letter to a position between the springs and walla, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In aletter box, a 1etter-ho1ding casehaving a slit, D, in its topnear its rear wall, springs B B, attached to the wall beneath slit D andhaving their free ends bear against the front wall of the case, ahook-bearing slide, G, provided with an operating-handle, as 0, andadapted to reciprocate between said springs, to catch overa letter andbear it to a position between them and wall 0, as shown and described,and a spring, L, operatively connected to slide G, to return it,with itsbook, when released by the hand, all combined and operating as and forthe purpose set forth.

NELSON A. CADWELL, JONATHAN WV. CADWELL.

WVitnesses: i

H. F. HYDE, J. DVGARFIELD.

